Most mobile calls, voice and data, are made inside a building – at home, at work, in the shops. Although the issue of adequate coverage in business premises has not been critical up to now, this is increasingly more than just a nagging concern for many organisations. In some cases, such as emergency services, good in-building coverage is essential.
Users expect that coverage is of consistent quality, with adequate capacity. But they are often disappointed. Building materials can significantly affect signal strength. In particular, more energy-efficient, heavily insulated buildings can be real signal-suckers.
Also, interference from electronic equipment, conflicting signals from multiple ‘macrocells’, as well as capacity limitations in high user density locations have an impact. This problem will grow, as higher frequencies emerge for new data-rich applications, and as user demands around video and data services increase.
The ultimate suffering party is the end user, but isn’t this a problem for the mobile operator? Up to a point. If they can provide better in-building coverage, they are more likely to attract and retain customers. They will also benefit from increased usage, and in turn, revenues – ability of use being more likely to lead to increased use.
Call the operator
But in reality, the chances that operators will solve every in-building coverage issue are very slim. The chances of them doing in the timescales required by many enterprises are even slimmer. And so, the problem becomes one that the enterprise may well need to address, in part – e.g. joint funded with an operator – or by themselves. This is especially pertinent when organisations are seeking widespread wireless implementation. Where the enterprise need to spend money, due care is key when deciding the infrastructure, including future proofing. It is wise to engage with your operator as soon as possible.
A likely outcome – as is often the case with various aspects of comms - is one which incorporates several, complementary technologies. Wi-Fi may provide a solution in part, but limitations may include handset restrictions and investment (particularly if seamless cellular/Wi-Fi/cellular handover is required). In addition, a glut of usage could easily overload the network – and this isn’t what Wi-Fi is really about. Femtocells - small cellular base stations typically designed for use in residential or small business environments - are best suited for hot -spot or small -venue voice. Similarly, pico cells are more appropriate for smaller buildings and small and medium-sized businesses.
The increasingly popular Distributed Antenna System (DAS) may be a more appropriate solution for larger enterprises/locations and for achieving high speed data transfer rates. This provides efficient distribution of wireless connections inside large buildings, by routing radio frequency signals through fibre or copper cable from a single base station to multiple antennas located throughout the building. DASes are also more easily managed as components in a wireless network.
Detailed planning is essential, irrespective of the group of technologies selected. Consideration needs to be given to support of multiple standards, and mixing fixed and wireless infrastructures. The extent and capacity of wireless throughout the building, and management of the systems also needs to be factored in, as does future-proofing. In an increasingly wireless working environment, risk and concern around radio frequency (RF) emissions will also need taking into account.
When working with the mobile operator, an unambiguous definition of management responsibilities will be essential. This will ensure clear lines of responsibility when any issues are identified, especially in any "grey" scenarios. Finally, rules around connecting with multiple mobile operators will also need to be dealt with.
It is beyond the scope of this article to do little more than identify some key considerations. but our most important point is that in-building coverage will progress from nagging concern to serious headache, as businesses become increasingly serious about deploying wireless applications originating from the cellular camp. Successful deployment of wireless will require this to be tackled head on, preferably arm-in-arm with a mobile provider.
We are interested in hearing the issues you have faced with in-building coverage, and how you’ve moved things forward.
Published: 26th June 2009 11:13 GMT
Josie Sephton, Freeform Dynamics
UK mobile operators need to do more to help customers who experience coverage problems, an advisory panel has said.
It recommends a "try before you buy" period in mobile contracts to enable customers disappointed by their new handset's coverage to switch operator.
The Communications Consumer Panel, which advises Ofcom, says about one-third of consumers and small businesses regularly experience coverage problems.
One operator said many factors "outside our control" could affect coverage.
Communications watchdog Ofcom recently pledged to investigate why there are such gaps around the UK.
"While all the focus is on rolling out new services like mobile broadband, our research reveals that large numbers of consumers and small businesses are still having problems making even basic voice calls," said Anna Bradley, chairwoman of the Communications Consumer Panel.
"It is essential that consumers aren't trapped into contracts that don't give them the coverage they need," she added.
Researchers found that more than half (56%) of consumers and 91% of small businesses have difficulties with mobile coverage, with a third of all those surveyed saying it was a regular experience.
Mobile coverage problems are not limited to rural and isolated areas with some city-dwellers also struggling to get good connections, the survey suggests.
Transmitters
The quality of coverage depends on a number of factors, including how near a person is to a transmitter, whether people use their phone inside or outside, the local landscape and even the weather.
O2 said that it already offered a "try before you buy" contract.
"We offer a 14-day cancellation policy for our mobile services. Customers buying directly from O2 may cancel their contract and return their SIM card and handset within 14 days," the firm said in a statement.
"In addition, for home broadband and mobile broadband, we offer a 30-day happiness guarantee, which allows customers to try the service at home and in their local area."
Orange said its GSM network covered 99% of the UK, while its 3G service covered 93%.
It said it offered prospective customers the chance to find out about the level of coverage in their area through the Orange coverage tracker. But, it said in a statement: "Local and physical conditions, such as building materials and atmospheric conditions, or environmental obstacles like tunnels, dips, cuttings and wooded areas can interfere with radio signals and impair mobile reception strength for all mobile networks.
"As such, no mobile operator can guarantee continuous network coverage, which can be affected by factors outside our control."
Published: 2009/10/06 00:14:01 GMT
© BBC MMIX
It is one of modern life's bugbears - hearing a cackle of interference then being cut off mid-sentence while chatting on a mobile phone. Now customers who get consistently poor mobile coverage could be in line for payouts.
It follows a court ruling that has opened the door to mobile owners to cancel their contracts, claim refunds and even compensation if their service is not up to scratch.
Tom Prescott, 32, took Orange to court after signing an 18-month contract, only to find he could neither receive nor make calls in and around his home.
When he tried to cancel the deal, he was rebuffed.
He said: 'As soon as I realised I could not get a signal, I tried to cancel it. But the phone networks are using bullying tactics and would not let me off the contract.
'Dealing with Orange was awful. I would ring them and it would take 15 minutes to get through then my phone would cut off and I'd be at the back of the queue.'
Mr Prescott, of Richmond, Surrey, turned to his local county court in Brentford where he was awarded £500 and the right to cancel his contract.
Although county court rulings are not binding, the case will serve as a useful precedent.
Mr Prescott argued that having been sold an 18-month contract by the mobile phone operators there ought to be a reasonable expectation of service.
'I started an 18-month contract and the phone never really worked as I couldn’t get any reception,' he said.
Mr Prescott, aged 32, was so fed up by the gap between the services promised by Orange and the reality of the reception that he tried to cancel the contract, but they would not let him.
'As soon as I realised I could not get a signal, I tried to cancel it. But the phone networks are using bullying tactics and would not let me off the contract,' he said.
Eventually, Mr Prescott was so exasperated that he turned to the courts for help.
Following his successful hearing, he urged others to follow his example.
'I hope people who have the same problem now realise they can do something about it,' he said.
'I didn’t take them to court to try to get the money. It annoyed me that you have this huge great company that advertised this great image, but when you deal with them they take you nearer and nearer the edge.'
A spokesman for Orange said it could not comment on the case as it was awaiting details.
However, a spokesman said the company provides high quality coverage to 99 per cent of the UK population and continues to invest in its network.
She added: 'As with all mobile operators, it is worth noting that continuous network coverage cannot be guaranteed and network coverage can be affected by factors outside of our control.'
Published: 20th February 2009
By Sean Poulter
Mobile phone users should be offered a "try before you buy" get-out clause to help them get the coverage they want, Ofcom's consumer panel has said.
A survey of more than 1,700 UK adults found more than half of consumers have experienced difficulties with mobile reception and a third said this was a regular experience.
A lack of accurate coverage information made the problem worse, the panel found, with 91% of small businesses having had difficulties with mobile coverage.
Anna Bradley, chairman of the panel, said: "While all the focus is on rolling out new services like mobile broadband, our research reveals that large numbers of consumers and small business employees are still having problems making even basic voice calls.
"This kind of basic coverage is hugely important to consumers and essential for small businesses to thrive. It's essential that consumers aren't trapped into contracts that don't give them the coverage they need.
"We would like to see providers offering consumers a 'try before you buy' clause that allows them to use their mobile and, if they don't get coverage, take it back."
But the panel conceded that good coverage depends on a variety of factors - including where the phone was being used, the local landscape and the weather - and that accurate information would always be an "inexact science".
Reception, particularly at home, was more important than the cost of the phone, quality of the customer service and the type of handset on offer when choosing a phone, the survey showed.
It also found the most common problem for consumers was so-called "not spots", where the user received no reception at all. A total of 36% of mobile users have experienced this, 18% regularly. This was followed by poor sound quality and text messages being delivered late, which were both experienced by 20% of users, 8% regularly.
A total of 12% of those who had problems had contacted customer services, but only 2% had changed networks.
Tuesday October 6,2009
Daily Express
Today Ofcom underlined its commitment to competition, consumer protection and investment in the mobile market with the publication of the second phase of its mobile sector assessment. Ofcom also published UK maps of 3G mobile network coverage for the first time.
Ofcom's actions for the mobile sector include:
Sustaining competition in the mobile market
Based on analysis set out in the consultation, Ofcom does not propose to undertake a wider formal market review of the mobile sector. Ofcom will continue to promote and safeguard competition in the mobile sector as the industry changes and innovative technology develops by:
- Monitoring competition between mobile networks to ensure consumers are protected; and
- Maximising consumer benefits from any possible new entrants to the mobile market by ensuring that innovation continues to flourish.
In support of this policy, on 20 May 2009 Ofcom published a review of mobile termination rates - the wholesale charges that operators make to connect calls to each others' networks - and how they should be set after 2011 when the current charging regime expires.
The consultation on mobile termination rates which closes on 29 July can be found at: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/mobilecallterm/
Robust consumer protection
Ofcom will continue to ensure that consumers are getting the best choice and value for money whilst protecting them in an increasingly diverse mobile market by:
- Continuing to take swift and firm action against companies mis-selling to consumers; and
- Continuing to engage with disability groups and mobile operators to further investigate ways to tackle barriers to access and enable use of mobile services by people with disabilities.
Mobile coverage
Ofcom's recent research shows that consumers are increasingly using mobile networks to access the internet on their computers via a dongle or 3G datacard. There were over two million new connections to mobile broadband between February 2008 and February 2009.
Mobile network coverage in the UK is generally good but some problems persist, particularly in rural areas. Ofcom is focusing on persistent so-called not-spot areas and working where it can to facilitate better mobile coverage.
To help address these problems Ofcom will:
- Assist the Government on its proposals to make more spectrum available for mobile broadband as well as the work to improve 3G coverage on key transport routes;
- Undertake new research to explore for the first time the technical quality of service such as mobile broadband speeds - that consumers receive from mobile devices; and
- Investigate the causes of some persistent mobile coverage not-spots areas of poor or no reception - and work with public bodies to consider how to resolve these issues. This may include providing guidance on ways to overcome coverage issues.
Separately, Ofcom today published for the first time a series of maps showing coverage across the UK by mobile networks using 3G technology.
The 3G mobile coverage maps can be found here.
Mobile deals: consumer advice video
Also Ofcom has published a consumer advice video today on how to switch providers to get the best deal using price comparison websites, including those that are accredited by Ofcom. These include BillMonitor.com, a service which allows consumers to get cheaper mobile phone deals by monitoring their online bills. BillMonitor.com was accredited by Ofcom on 21 May 2009.
The consumer video can be found here: www.ofcom.org.uk/consumeradvice/approach/pricecomparison/
Ofcom's further consultation on the mobile sector can be found at: www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/msa
An interactive executive summary where comments on Ofcom's proposals can be posted online can be found at: http://comment.ofcom.org.uk/mostly_mobile/
08|07|09
Ofcom
People in large parts of the UK are unable to access the internet via mobile networks, maps published by industry watchdog Ofcom have revealed.
Increasing numbers of Britons rely on mobile phones, with millions using 3G, or third generation, services to connect to the web using a mobile phone or by plugging a USB modem or data card into a computer.
But the maps show problems affecting rural areas, as well as swathes of Scotland, Wales,Northern Ireland, south-western England, northern England and East Anglia.
Ofcom said the graphics provide a “snapshot” view of coverage across the UK on Vodafone, Orange, O2, T-Mobile and 3 mobile networks with shaded areas indicating where customers have the possibility of making and receiving a call outside over a 3G network.
Mostly Mobile, Ofcom’s second phase of its mobile sector assessment, revealed that consumers are increasingly giving up landlines in favour of their mobile phones and setting out plans to push for improved coverage.
“Coverage of mobile networks in the UK is generally good,” Ofcom said. “Indeed, it is better than in other comparable countries, but some issues persist.
“For 3G network coverage there is still a noticeable difference between rural and urban areas, and also between different parts of the UK, with coverage problems a particular issue in the devolved nations.
“Mobile services have become central for UK citizens and consumers and for businesses.
“We have therefore decided that now is the right time to look into coverage issues in more detail.”
A range of possibilities can be blamed for the variations, including problems with technology, cost, planning restrictions and topographical factors such as hilly or mountainous landscapes, Ofcom said.
July 8th, 2009
Source: Yahoo Technology News
MILLIONS of Brits still can't access the internet on their mobile — and the problem may be impossible to fix.
Industry watchdog Ofcom has released a new map shaming the UK's worst mobile access areas, but admits solving all coverage problems "may be unrealistic".
The UK has a staggering 76million mobile phone users and more than two million people signed up for new mobile broadband deals between February last year and February this year.
But maps from Ofcom show vast swathes of Britain, particularly in rural areas, are mobile phone "dead zones".
Areas showing 3, Orange, Vodafone and O2's respective coverage areas reveal it most lacking in South Wales, the South-West, North-East and the Highlands of Scotland, with London and the Midlands having the best coverage.
The Mostly Mobile report, Ofcom's published today, has pledged to "look into coverage issues in more detail".
Ofcom said: "For 3G network coverage there is still a noticeable difference between rural and urban areas, and also between different parts of the UK."
Coverage problems can be caused by faulty technology, cost, planning restrictions and local geography including big hills or mountains.
Ofcom admitted mobile providers do not expect to achieve 100 per cent coverage across the country.
The regulator pledged to push for improvements by focusing on "not-spot" areas with poor or no reception.
Last month, the Digital Britain report set out the Government's objectives for "progress" towards universal 3G coverage and reliable coverage on the rail network and London Underground.
Around 85 per cent of UK adults now own mobile phones, with people increasingly abandoning landlines.
Published: 08 Jul 2009
By DEAN VALLER - The Sun
The calls coincide with claims that half of consumers have had problems with reception.
Ofcom has called for a ‘try before you buy’ policy to be implemented on mobile phones to help consumers ‘get the coverage that they want’.
The regulator’s consumer panel made the calls today (6 October) alongside claims that more than half of consumers have experienced problems with reception, with a third saying it was a regular experience.
A lack of accurate coverage information made the problem worse, the panel said.
The survey of more than 1,700 UK adults also found 91% of small businesses have had difficulties with mobile coverage.
Anna Bradley, chairwoman of the panel, said: ‘While all the focus is on rolling out new services like mobile broadband, our research reveals that large numbers of consumers and small business employees are still having problems making even basic voice calls.’
‘This kind of basic coverage is hugely important to consumers and essential for small businesses to thrive.’
Some networks were against the idea. One network source told Mobile that it would be difficult to implement such a policy because once the handset is returned, it is second hand. This would result in higher costs for the operator, which would ultimately be passed onto the consumer.
The source said: ‘The problem is, as soon as you un-box a handset and use it, it becomes a second hand product - its value reduces by half. On average the handsets cost the operators £300, so that’s a hit of £150 that the operator has to take. Higher end handsets cost operators between £400 and £500, so that’s a £200 to £250 hit they’d have to take on returns.’
The panel conceded that good coverage depends on a variety of factors, including where the phone was being used, the local landscape and the weather -and that accurate information would always be an ‘inexact science’.
It found the most common problem for consumers was so-called ‘not spots’, where the user received no reception at all. A total of 36% of mobile users have experienced this, 18% regularly.
This was followed by poor sound quality and text messages being delivered late, which were both experienced by 20% of users, 8% regularly.
A total of 12% of those who had problems had contacted customer services, but only 2% had changed networks.
Operators do currently offer a 14 day money back on mobile broadband, because it relies on 3G coverage, ‘which is not as extensive as 2G yet’, according to the operator source.
10/6/2009
Mobile Magazine
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